Toshiba Senior Classic Golf: Good ol’ boys

Richard Dunn

NEWPORT BEACH - There’s nothing like the good ol’ boy network of

the Senior PGA Tour.

One day, Don Pooley is struggling with his golf swing. He mentions it

to old buddy Larry Nelson during lunch last week before a Toshiba Senior

Classic Pro-Am at Newport Beach Country Club.

Next thing you know, Nelson’s giving Pooley a five-minute golf lesson

at the driving range, and, on Saturday, they both moved into contention

in the second round.

Nelson and Pooley shot 7-under 64 and 6-under 65, respectively, and

while the difference in the purse distribution in the top three places is

several thousand dollars in the $1.5 million event, it doesn’t matter

among friends.

“I’ve known Don a long time, ever since he came out on the PGA Tour 25

years ago,” Nelson said. “He said he wasn’t hitting the ball well, so on

Thursday I looked at his swing and I just got him back in alignment. He

was lined up to the right. On the Senior Tour, 90% of the time it’s

either ball position or alignment. Anybody trying to change their swing

out here is going to have some real problems.”

Pooley, who carded his lowest round of the year in his fifth event, is

tied for fifth at 7-under after 36 holes with Walter Hall and Monday

qualifier Michael Zinni, while Allen Doyle, the 2000 Toshiba winner,

Nelson and Gil Morgan are tied for second at 8-under and trying to catch

Hale Irwin at 11-under.

“Larry’s been a real good friend,” said Pooley, 51, who made his

Senior PGA Tour debut last September.

“(Nelson) helped me on the regular tour, and on Wednesday he

(suggested to help again), and I thought he was kidding.”

Pooley, who shot 1-under 70 in the first round, birdied the first

three holes to instantly join the Saturday contenders. He bogeyed No. 5,

typically the toughest hole on the golf course, but birdied No. 7 when

his 20-foot downhill putt on the most severe green on the course “hit

hard in the center of the hole ... I was very fortunate.”

Pooley also birdied No. 9, then continued his assault on the back

nine, making birdie on 14 and eagle on the par-5 15, when he holed out

from the bunker from about 40 feet.

At 8-under, Pooley enjoyed the second-round lead, albeit a short-lived

one.

His bogey at 17 knocked him out of the top spot, then Irwin caught

fire to build a three-shot lead.

“I love it out here,” Pooley, who played in the 1977 Crosby Southern

Pro-Am at Newport Beach, said of the Senior PGA Tour.